Deidra Williams – Perry High School

Deidre Williams is the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year for Perry High School. 

Williams was born and raised in Perry and said she is a proud product of Perry Elementary, Morningside Elementary, Perry Middle and Perry High School. Williams said her heart bleeds maroon and gold. She graduated from Valdosta State University and was hired on to her first teaching job at Valdosta High School in 1997. In 2005 she was hired on to Perry High, and is currently in her 22 year of teaching.

Why teaching/What brought you into this field?

“I have always loved learning ever since I was a little girl. My family really encouraged me along the way to become a teacher as well. And you know for most people they go into careers with what they are good at. School was easy to me and I just enjoyed it. I was an introverted child so I would watch a lot of educational programs. At some point I told my mom that I wanted to be a teacher and she had the biggest smile that day. And that smile drove me to become a teacher.”

Any inspiration from past teachers?

“I had so many great mentors. I can remember when I was little our land lady Mrs. Miller. She took an interest into me and would take me to educational events on base. Of course there’s just too many from elementary with Mrs. Moody and Mrs. Miner to high school with Mrs. Denkins and Mrs. Anderson. But there is one lady who I never really thanked when I was in high school and that was my softball coach Mrs. Joy McNeal. She is the reason I got my scholarship. She would drive me to different colleges and never would take gas money. I mean she was a God send and made a huge impact on my life.”

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

“My students, I love them. I don’t have any kids of my own, but my students are my kids. I find myself when I go home laughing at something they said or did. But I just enjoy connecting with them through the good and bad.”

What is the most

challenging part of teaching?

“Relating to the students. The older I get the more I realize there is this generational divide. I have to some times take a moment and remember what things were like at that age, and what it’s like now for students. So meeting halfway and getting them comfortable enough to trust me and vice verse can be challenging.”

Advice to students

“Don’t try to ‘fast forward’ time. I tell my students all the time we are only promised what is happening right now and we’re not guaranteed another moment. So just enjoy the present and give it your very best.”

Advice to parents

“Let your students struggle. I know we all want what’s best for them, but they need to struggle because in struggles we find our strength. We can’t constantly bail them out because they will never have that skill set to learn from it. Not all students are the same and will grasp the material quickly and that is ok.”